2 revenue officials suspended over illegal NOC for petrol pump

Bijnor: Two revenue officials (lekhpals) have been suspended and action initiated against another after serious irregularities were found in the issuance of a no objection certificate (NOC) for a proposed petrol pump on restricted agricultural land in Bijnor.The case pertains to a proposal by Moradabad division of Indian Oil Corporation to set up a retail fuel outlet at Khedli Hemraj village in the district.A probe by the Sadar tehsildar revealed that the land identified for the project falls under category 1 (Kh), a classification reserved for fertile agricultural land and not permitted for commercial use.Despite this, officials allegedly submitted a misleading report, paving the way for the issuance of the NOC. Those named in the report include survey lekhpal Anil Kumar, revenue lekhpal Mohammad Arshad, and revenue inspector Kumbhkaran Singh.Following a review based on a Feb 23 communication from the district govt counsel (revenue), the NOC has been declared illegal and recommended for immediate cancellation. The report has since been forwarded to district magistrate Jasjit Kaur for further action.Acting on the findings, authorities suspended Anil Kumar and Mohammad Arshad with immediate effect. Disciplinary action has also been recommended against Kumbhkaran Singh, and the matter is under consideration by senior officials.Category 1 (Kh) land, as per UP land records (khasra/khatauni), is designated for agricultural use and is treated as protected land. Such land cannot be used for commercial purposes, including petrol pumps, factories, housing projects or other non-agricultural activities, without prior govt approval.